Black Cats defender felt Fergie's fury when at Man United and reckons his current boss is even more fiery PLUS Left-back latest

Some like it hot: Di Canio's passion has won over the Wearsiders' squad (Photo: Getty)

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John O’Shea reckons that if Sir Alex Ferguson had the hairdryer then Paolo Di Canio’s weapon of choice would be a flamethrower, writes Simon Mullock .

Di Canio has taken a torch to the squad he inherited from Martin O’Neill last March by recruiting 10 players during a frenzied summer that has also seen nine departures from the Stadium of Light.

Having worked under ­Ferguson at Manchester United, skipper O’Shea doesn’t have a problem with ­managers who turn up the heat.

And he insists that Di Canio is simply driven by a burning desire to win.

O’Shea said of the Italian : “I don’t know about having a ­hairdryer, when the gaffer has a go it’s more like a flamethrower!

“He wants to improve us as a team and himself as a manager — and he wants to do it now.

“It’s obvious he wants to go right to the top. Like all good managers, he isn’t afraid to let rip when he needs to.

“But he’s a great bloke to work for. He expects nothing less than 100 per cent and, if you give him that, he gives you everything back in return.

“In a way he is easy to please. He wants everyone working as hard as they can and if he gets that he has a smile on his face.

“He’s got high standards and expects the same from ­everyone around him. If he doesn’t get that, then he lets you know.

“But the best managers are like that. They don’t accept ­second best.

“His enthusiasm is infectious and he does like to have a laugh and a joke — but only when the time is right. Believe me, he is relentless when it comes to ­getting his ideas across.”

Di Canio guided the Black Cats away from the relegation zone when he succeeded O’Neill.

Since then he has gone about restructuring the squad in a bid to ensure that next season doesn’t descend into another winter of discontent.

There have been encouraging signs during the Premier League Asia Trophy in Hong Kong that the players are responding to his methods.

O’Shea said: “We are coming along nicely as a squad.

“Positive signs are there. (Emanuele) Giaccherini looks a real talent, even though he isn’t fully fit yet, Cabral looks like he can be a top player in the Premier League and, with Wes Brown coming back after injury, that’s like signing a new player.

“There was a lot of ­upheaval last season and at times we were making headlines for all the wrong reasons.

“But it feels more settled now, even with all the new players that have come in over the summer, and there’s a great spirit around the place.

“The manager has said it’s been like a revolution since he came in, and in many ways that’s a good way to ­describe it.

“But it is going to take time for him to really put his ideas into place and get us playing how he wants every week.

“It’s all about taking small steps, baby steps if you like, to get where we want to be.

“Last season wasn’t an ­enjoyable experience.

“It was scary when we started to get dragged down towards the bottom, and there was a lot of relief around the place when we were safe.

“The manager has said that he doesn’t want next season to be a struggle.

“He wants us looking up ­rather than over our shoulders.

“He will want to have us ­pushing up towards mid-table and beyond.

“It’s not in his nature to be happy just treading water to survive.”

* SUNDERLAND have turned to Mexican international Jorge Torres Nilo in their search for a left-back , writes Clive Hetherington .

Torres Nilo, 25, is valued at £5million by his Mexican club, Tigres, and has won 34 caps.

The Black Cats have been frustrated in their pursuit of Argentina's Lucas Orban, 24, of Buenos Aires side Tigre, and missed out on Le Havre's French kid Benjamin Mendy, 19, who joined Marseille.